First Census Since 1938 6,000 Points
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ON Monday, highway authorities throughout the country, working in co-operation with the Ministry of Transport, started the first comprehensive traffic census to be held since 1938. Its purpose is to determine the growth and trend of modern traffic and particularly the changes which may have occurred in the general traffic pattern.
The census is being taken on all trunk and Class I roads. It will go on until Sunday and be conducted by about 20,000 enumerators stationed at between 5,000 and 6,000 points. Most of the counts will be for 16 hours each day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., but at some of the more important points a night count win be taken in addition.
With certain variations, the census points will be the same as those used in 1938.
Altogether 23 classes, including subdivisions, of vehicle will be enumerated. The chief changes in these, compared with the details included in the 1938 census, are a reduction in the categories of buses and coaches from four to two, and the separation of light vans and lorries (up to 30 cwt.) from the heavier types.
Sample traffic censuses were carried out in 1950 and 1953. The first was taken at 270 widely distributed points on trunk, Class I and Class II roads throughout England, Scotland and Wales. It showed that compared with 1938, traffic on these roads had increased by about 6 per cent, The second census taken at 100 points on trunk and Class I roads showed an expansion of 24 per cent. since 1938.
MIRRORS ON BOTH SIDES?
A RESOLUTION calling for rearPt view mirrors on both sides of commercial vehicles was submitted to the North Midland Accident Prevention Federation by Newark Road Safety Committee and is to be publicized,